Soul Legacy
by wolfrunnerable12
Summary: Picks up from the end of Episode 366. It's been twenty years since Ichigo defeated Kugo Ginjo and decided to remain a Substitute Soul Reaper, now he and the gang have moved on to start families and whole new lives in this time of peace. But when familiar
1. And So Again Fell The Sword

**First chapter! Yeah! I need you guys to do me a favor and let me know what you all think by posting a review for me okay? This is going to be my first Bleach fiction so please only constructive criticism allowed if you have something negative to say. I hope you all enjoy this though!~**

"Ichigo Kurosaki. You fought admirably."

The orange haired Soul Reaper blinked before grinning shaking his head, as he stepped into the meeting. All thirteen Squad Captains, including the Head Captain Yamamoto at the head of the formation, kept their curious gazes fixed on him. He heard Renji and Rukia fallow into the room behind him before they stopped and knelt a ways back having been allowed to stay in on the Captain's Meeting. "Oh, let's forget about that. I didn't come here today to be praised for my efforts.", Ichigo said when the bearded Head Captain started to praise him for his victory, "I came here about Ginjo's body you had Renji retrieve...I want to take it back to the World Of The Living and give it a proper burial."

"Are you crazy?", came a familiar voice drawing the Substitute's attention to one of the Captains walking out into the middle of the floor with cropped blond hair. The blond Captain stopped and turned facing Ichigo, "Do you realize what you're asking?"

Ichigo eyed the man, "Shinji?"

A women with short black hair walked out of the line up joining the Vizard in the center of the room. "He's right.", she said with narrowed suspicious eyes that Ichigo had come to expect from the Squad Two Captain and Stealth Force Commander, "The man is a heinous villain who stole the powers of many Soul Reapers and murdered them one after the other! How could you-!"

"That's not what I meant.", Shinji cut Soifon off, "Listen Ichigo, the guy messed up your family and friends. Can you forgive a guy like that? Or rather...should you?"

"It's not about forgiveness.", said the Substitute in a firm measured tone as he locked eyes with the assembled Captains, "My friends and family are back to the way they were. I'm still alive and he's just a Substitute Soul Reaper."

Yamamoto eyed the oranged haired Soul Reaper, "Ichigo Kurosaki, am I to assume you said those words after considering all of the ramifications?"

Ichigo laughed shaking his head shrugging nonchalantly, "Screw the ramifications! I simply want to do for him as a fellow Substitute Soul Reaper since I'm going to continue to be one." The black clad man grinned upon his the last part of his statement. .

"What?!", asked Yamamoto.

"So that's it.", smirked Shinji seemingly satisfied as he reclaimed his place between Rose and Sajin with the other gathered Squad Captains.

The Head Captain hit the floor with the end of his cane, "I will grant your request.", he announced.

"Okay then I guess I'll be going", said Ichigo turning around to leave the meeting. But when the orange spiky haired Substitute reached the doorway he paused reaching into his pocket to hold up his Substitute Soul Reaper Badge for the two Lieutenants and the thirteen Squad Captains to see, "Oh by the way from now on, when a Soul Reaper comes to Karakura Town, at least let them know that this is a Combat Pass."

_-20 Years Later, Present Time, Karakura Town-_

The town was quiet, much too quiet for my taste this time of hour. The sun had long since set in the sky casting the seemingly calm little town in shadows and giving way to the light of the full moon now hanging in the cloudless sky above in it's place. The homes that lined the sides of the cozy neighborhoods were locked up tight, as if acting as barriers protecting their dreaming residents within their walls from whatever slunk through the outside darkness. I sighed leaning back placing the majority of my weight on my arms to stare up at the black and navy blue sky, my legs dangled over the edge of the roof as I swung them wistfully out of lack of something better to do. A sheathed kantana laid flat beside me along with a shut cell phone. Board I closed my eyes taking a deep breath of the crisp night air letting a low moan escape my lips, my body reclined flat against the tiled roof top. I could have drifted into a light sleep right there if it hadn't been for a familiar tugging sensation in the back of my brain, or the complimenting sudden presence standing beside me. "You're back already. Let me guess, you didn't find anything.", I noted staring up into a pair of eyes that were such a light shade of blue they were almost white.

The eyes were set in a slightly pale face topped with a shock of hair as black as mine but shorter due to gender differences. One of his hands rested in a jean pocket while the other gripped the handle of a bow hanging at his side The guy didn't seem out of the ordinary with a pair of sneakers and slacks held up by a thin dark belt around his waist line. A black trench coat covered the white dress shirt the new arrival wore. The owner of the black hair blue eyed face was a guy two years older then me...Hikari Ishida. Hikari raised an eyebrow,"If I'd found something we'd be fighting it right now. I couldn't find any traces of spiritual pressure in the western area or around the school, that makes the southern area Hollow free too.", he pointed out leaning back against a chimney pipe. "I swear if that blond idiot sent us on another wild goose chase with these new phone models I'll make him regret that over working brain of his.", growled Hikari staring up at the star speckled sky above us. He ran a hand through his hair brushing his bangs out of his eyes irritated.

"Now you're starting to sound like me.", I teased the teen. At my friend's comment I could help but laugh shaking my head at the picture of the black haired boy wailing on the blond twenty year old shop employee. It was so out of character for the usually stoic archer that it was actually a tempting thought provoking idea.

"Shut up Mai. Did you forget that we still have a Hollow to find and take care of tonight?", Hikari replied in an annoyed tone shooting me a dark serious look before pushing himself off of the metal chimney stack,"If the school grounds, west, east and southern areas are secure then that means the Hollow we're looking for should be around here. I thought Soul Reapers took their jobs seriously." Hikari untangled his arms reaching into a back pocket with his free hand to pull out a silver phone that matched the one shut up beside me. He flipped back the top half pressing one of the buttons at the bottom of the phone's key pad, causing the device to beep signaling it was ready. The Quincy's critical pale blue gaze scanned the top screen methodically as silence fell over our post above the town streets below us. Flickering lamp light hid half my companion in shadow while illuminating the other half, a cool breeze ruffled the hem of his black trench coat and permanently neat wind swept hair.

I sighed rolling my eyes looking away from the annoyed concentrating Quincy as my laughter dulled into a weak mental chuckle,"Jeez lighten up already pal, you take things too seriously some times. You're waaay too easy to pick on and I am taking it seriously. I just know how to have a little fun once and awhile. Anyway let me know if you pick something up again on that thing." I laughed again at the furious look on my friend's face though he didn't look up from the phone in his hands. After not getting a response from Hikari other then a simple head nod, I closed my eyes shifting my body over so that I was once more comfortable laying against the roof tiles. I had just begun to drift back into a light power nap when an ear piercing scream filled the night air making my brown eyes snap open.


	2. Battle Ignition

**EDITED CHAPTER!**

**Yes the name of the title should ay it all. I hope that this is a decent chapter, I didn't expect people to like it as much as you guys seem to though I am glad that you all are taking such an interest to it. I hope I don't end up disappointing you. Enjoy!~**

My brown eyes snapped open when an ear piercing scream filled the night air shortly fallowed by an equally loud insistent beeping coming from mine and Hikari's phones. While my partner used the compact silver device in his hand to locate the Hollow's location I wasn't about to sit around on the roof top post waiting to find out what we were dealing with. Ignoring the black haired teen's warning of protest I grabbed my sheathed kantana and jumped off of the roof to land lightly in the lamp lit streets below the building. I couldn't sense the presence of the Hollow we were chasing but there was one other weak spiritual pressure in the imdietate area I honed in on before kicking myself off of the concrete sidewalk. Flash Step might not have been my strong point, but that didn't slow me down as every time my feet touched ground I'd push off again leaping into the air in a blur of movement. One hand was wrapped around the blue hilt of the weapon strapped to my side while the other rested on the top ready to draw it as soon as I needed to. My muscles tensed and my lungs burned slightly from the effort of my rushed pace, hair stung my cheeks and the corners of my eyes as it whipped about my face.

"Help! Somebody please help me!"

There!

Changing course in the direction of the call for help, I used Flash Step once more before coming to a stop in the mouth of an alleyway. There was definitely a weak presence somewhere towards the back of the dark alley but it was difficult to tell if it was a soul or a Hollow. It didn't feel dangerous but the masked creatures and their powers were about as varied as any other living creature so there was no telling if this was a trap to lure somebody unsuspecting in or not for sure. Being cautious I drew the kantana from it's sheath ready for an ambush,"Hello? Is anyone down there? If so then you don't have to worry and can come out now! My name is Mai Kurosaki, I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper here to help!", I called into the passage before standing there in wait. A cool breeze blew through the dark space but other then that there wasn't any kind of response. I sighed reaching into my shihakusho sleeve pulling out a cement badge with a small skull engraved in it's center to hold up,"Look I don't know if you can see this, but if you can't I'm holding up a badge with a skull on it! It's called a Combat Pass, this means you can trust me! Do you understand?" I waited standing there in the mouth of the alley keeping the badge up where it could be seen until the sound of hesitant footsteps echoed back towards me signaling whoever had been hiding had at the very least been curious enough to show themselves. "See? Now was that so hard to do?", I laughed putting the Combat Pass away again.

When the footsteps stopped I relaxed as a young boy stood in front of me, the severed chain hanging from the center of his chest meaning he was a soul. As expected he looked shaken and made sure to keep his distance from me. The boy was little still with short spiky brown hair and green eyes. He shoved his hands in his jean pockets eyeing me up still with an unsure gaze. "N-not really. I've never heard of Substitute Soul Reapers before though, but you don't look scary...you don't look that much older then me, I'm ten. But that sword you're carrying is kind of scary.", the soul pointed at the thin blade of the weapon hanging at my side.

"Well thats-", I dropped off mid sentence not having enough time to finish explaining things to the boy. At least not when another heavier presence caught my focus and this one didn't belong to a friendly passer by either. Shoving the kid roughly back, I spun around in time to catch the barrage of yellow spiritual energy shaped like large needles against the blunt side of the Zanpakuto's blade. Sure I caught it but the sheer force of the attack surprised me as the impact pushed me back into the front of a dumpster sitting in the alley. When my back connected with the metal trash bin I coughed up a bit of blood before sliding down the now dented metal breathing hard for a breath. A thin trickle of the warm liquid ran down my hairline from a minor wound on my head from the impact. My attention had been so focused on the kid that the new arrival managed to slip in right under my nose without much effort. It hurt to admit it was a careless move on my part. I lifted a hand to my head cleaning the blood from it wincing at the mild shock of pain that came as a result of the touch. Using the Zanpakuto to push myself to my feet again having regained most of my breath I looked up towards the end of the alleyway in the direction of the previous attack.

"It pains me to say this but that wasn't bad little Soul Reaper, at least you seem to know a bit about what you're doing. I think you'd be rather fun to play with if I wasn't just looking for a simple meal which you just interrupted by the way.", the figure responsible for the attack was clearly female even before she stepped into the light areas of the passage just by her voice. If a sarcastically sweet voice like that didn't say danger then nothing did. But for a Hollow she looked different then expected. The female Hollow had long red hair whose bangs were tucked around what appeared to be a somehow broken skeleton looking Hollow Mask with a small horn formation dead center of her forehead. She was wearing a white long trench coat covering a matching tube top. A long black skirt hung low on her waist reaching all the way down to the ground and there was the tell tale hole in her chest where a chain much like the boy's would be had she been a soul. A kantana with a lavender colored hilt bearing a strange guard in the shape of exceptionally long flower petals rested at her side in hand.

The kid squirmed pressing himself back away from the two of us but froze when I snapped at him, "Don't move kid! Whatever you do don't move! If you run I won't be able to protect you from this freak of a Hollow.", I warned him not looking away from the opponent a few feet in ahead of me. I couldn't put my finger on it but this red haired female Hollow had me on edge and it wasn't because her spiritual pressure was having some kind of effect like intimidation on my nerves, that I swore it wasn't. It was almost a sense of dejavu for lack of a better word choice. Even if I had no idea who she was there was still a faint sense that I'd seen or at least heard of this chick before now. I grit my teeth hating the way this Hollow was making me feel like this seemingly without any effort on her part. The question was why was she bothering me in the first place though?

The female Hollow laughed herself into near hysterics shaking her head,"My my and here I was thinking that Soul Reapers didn't have a sense of humor. But you must have at least a half way decent one to think you can protect that child's soul from me or to call me something as degrading as a simple run of the mill Hollow...that or you must be very foolish girl. Such thoughts are painful insults which I don't take lightly."

"Are you trying to say that you're more then just a Hollow?", I asked the women with the broken mask, "I'd admit you're different but I still don't see you as anything like you suggesting some kind of higher discussing being." I noticed the smirk on the red haired women's face before feeling the firm grip on my shoulder as she appeared in a blur at my side, "Flash Step!?" What was I thinking? Flash Step was a secret movement based technique that only Soul Reapers learned how to preform, there was no logical way a Hollow like this women could learn such a move. That's what my brain was telling me but my eyes wouldn't let me forget the way the red haired women moved just a moment ago.

The red haired women glanced backwards at me leaning slightly inwards, "Whats wrong girlie? You seem a bit distracted all of a sudden. It's not Flash Step love but what we call a Sonido, like your movement technique but faster. It's one of the many surprising natural abilities that we Arrancar posses, you're pathetic slow secret technique is no match for it's superior speed. Sit back and I'll show you what I mean by finishing the meal you interfered in." The female Hollow disappeared again only this time reappearing near the boy pointing the tip of her own blade directly at him. "Aguijon de la Langosta!", the blade became covered in familiar yellow spirit energy until it totally surrounded the weapon. Just like before the small blade like barrage of yellow light launched themselves in the boy's direction.

My fist tightened around the blue hilt of the Zanpakuto in my grip as I crouched down biting my lower lip in frustration. There wasn't a garuntee that I would reach the boy's soul in time to do anything about the attack and even if I did the there was the force that shoved me into the side of the dumpster earlier to think about. But there wasn't any time to come up with a suitable counter attack with the Hollow that close to the frightened brown haired boy. The only thing to do was hope for the best. I took a step appearing between the boy and the oncoming barrage of yellow spirit energy holding up the kantana bracing for the impact I was sure was coming. "This plan had better work Hikari...", I muttered under my breath as the attack drew nearer ready for it. Crouching low at the knees I shoved off from the ground holding the Zanpakuto outwards to the side. When the needle shots of energy were near my body was outlined in a thin glow of my own blue Spiritual Energy, as the kantana's blade sliced through the female Hollow's attack dispersing it harmlessly to either side in the air. "It's going to take more then that to take me out Hollow!", I yelled brining the Zanpakuto upwards aimed horizontally at my opponent's chest.


	3. The Hollow With The Broken Mask

**Okay so now I think we can get onto the fight. Please enjoy and tell me if you think something doesn't seem right or otherwise seems out of place since this is my first Bleach battle scene. I'm so excited! Sorry it took so long you guys, but I kept changing things trying to figure out what worked best and I hope this is it. I know there isn't a lot of detail but I hope it's just as good.~**

I grit my teeth bringing the blade of the kantana up bracing it with my free hand when the heel of a white sandal smacked into the blunt side of the Zanpakuto, as the impact pressed on me causing the concrete around my feet to crack under the pressure. Like a shockwave's effects the ground split caving inwards towards my feet. I could feel myself starting to wobble at the sudden uneven ground, "Damn it. So it's not just her attacks with this kind of strength but her physical strength is just as annoyingly strong. What the hell kind of Hollow are you?!", I huffed ignoring the burning sensation from the building strain in my arm. Catching the glint of lamplight bouncing off of something metal swinging out aimed at the side of my head, I dug deep shoving away from the female Hollow. I landed a short ways back breathing heavily while the burning sensation from strain on my arms became replaced with a weak sharp pain from the curved darkening tear of the Shihakusho's shoulder.

"What kind of Hollow am I? Are you that stubborn or are you just an idiot, I told you I'm an Arrancar not a Hollow. Though my abilities far exceed that of an ordinary Hollow it seems no matter how many times I say it you're still incapable of understanding what the difference is. Good thing for you I'm in a good mood so let's continue with the lesson little Soul Reaper! I'll school you and then your Quincy friend that turned tail and ran!", the Hollow replied flicking her wrist causing the blood on her sword to splatter to the ground before she lunged again. The broken masked women propelled herself into the air twisting her body for more momentum before kicking outwards directing her attack towards my upper body.

I dropped to the ground to roll out of the way, feeling the edge of the Hollow's heel graze the top of my head as her kick missed it's mark. Sure that I had cleared the kick, I spun around lifting the Zanpakuto over my head hoping to catch my opponent while she was trapped in the air. I wasn't bettering on the women to pull a couple of tuck and rolls to evade a counterattack and land unscathed a few feet behind me. "Great just what I can't stand, a Hollow whose an acrobat and has a big mouth.", I readjusted the grip on the sword's hilt between my palms, "Get back here!" Using Flash Step I was able to catch up to the white clad Hollow and move in for another strike at her midsection only to have it dodged when the women disappeared in a blur of her movement technique again. Narrowing my brown eyes I glanced behind me, "That's the same as last time, I know it now. I'm not falling for that kind of move again!", I snapped parrying the strike with the blade of my Zanpakuto shoving roughly against the Hollow hoping to unbalance the red head.

The broken mask women rolled her eyes arching her back. Keeping herself balanced with both her palms against the concrete, the Hollow avoided the blade grinning before kicking upwards towards the Zanpakuto. Her foot met with the sword pushing it and my arm to the side, "You say you know my move by now do you? Then I think it's time we fixed that by changing things up a bit. After all I can't stand monotonous battles, there's no entertainment or challenge in them and that's just boring after awhile." The female Hollow held the lavender hilted sword to the side pointed one of the sides of the brick buildings lining the alleyway,"So far you've been able to barely keep up with me. I wonder if your so called Flash Step is fast enough to avoid the side of a collapsing building while trying to save yourself and someone else.", she laughed burying the end of her weapon into the brick structure dragging it along the wall.

The young soul screamed ducking his head under his arms.

"Crap!", I hissed forgetting about the women with the broken Hollow mask for the moment. Unable to do anything about the Hollow or falling chunks of brick, I rushed the young soul sheathing my Zanpakuto. I wrapped my arms around the kid smiling managing to Flash Step out of the way ending up outside the mouth of the passage. By the time we'd gotten out it was already packed with debris from the cave in. Prying the soul away from me, I ruffled his dark hair winking before pushing the boy to the side behind a lamp post. It might have not been much of a shield but at least there the kid was out of the way. I reached for the kantana sheathed at my hip, when a sharp pain starting in my stomach rocked my body causing me to involuntarily bend forward at the forced impact. The feeling of blood bubbled up from my core leaving the taste of salty iron in its wake and bright red stains at the corners of my mouth. The blow knocked the wind out of my lungs sending me soaring backwards into the air. Taking a deep breath bringing air back into my lungs I looked down at the lamp lit streets below, leaning forward ready for a counter attack but comming face to concrete instead. Visibly shaking, I hauled myself up onto my hands and knees where a small stream of blood ran down from the wound on my shoulder across the top of my hand. I spat out a clump of the iron tasting liquid nearly wanting to gag.

A steady pair of footsteps approached me from behind as the Hollow walked casually towards me laughing. When the footsteps stopped, the Hollow bent over taking the back of the Shihaksho in a fist lifting me up into the air. Her appearance might have been more human but her strength coupled with my shorter height had me dangling in the air. Her boasting smirk reflected in her eyes. "So this is all you Kurosakis are capable of but the Soul Society still lets you become Soul Reapers? What a disgrace!", sneered the female red head, "I was hoping for more of a challenge from someone bearing such a well known name, but I guess I misjudged you girl. I may not know why you were holding back the whole time since this battle is about to end but I don't really care." The white clad women pointed her sword at me pressing the weapon's metallic tip lightly against my neck, "Any last words little Soul Reaper?", the women asked in a tone of mock kindness.

For all the seriousness of the situation I was in at the moment, I shot the broken masked Hollow a defiant look with a grin spreading slowly across my face. "Well what do you know, looks like Hikari was right after all. You were an idiot enough to fall for it just like we planned. Too bad for you monster.", I chuckled reaching back behind me. I grabbed ahold of the object tucked into the large white bow at the small of my back before burying it in the ground between myself and the broken masked women. I removed my hand careful to keep the tip of my index finger on the top of the shaft whispering, "Modified Hado Number Four. Jugeki Byakuri." A thin red beam discharged from my fingertip into the half buried weapon. The Kido sent off a domino like effect as several other metal shafts surrounding us glowed with purple energy before beams of the same color surged through the ground to wrap themselves around the Hollow binding her.

**If you think this is short then I am going to beat you all to the punch and apologize right now, but I assure you all that this chapter is over 1k in words and I have a specific plot timeline in mind I am trying to work with me here. Please cut me a little slack and you won't be disappointed with the results later on.I look forward to your comments and hope to see you next chapter.~**


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